Riptech Tops Tech Nominees

City's technology achievement award honors local firm

Riptech Inc. is the 2002 winner of the Alexandria Technology Achievement Award. The announcement came at the annual Technology Achievement Award luncheon on March 22.

“This is a very important award because it allows us to recognize the achievements of local companies and to showcase Alexandria as a good place for high-tech companies,” said Councilwoman Redella S. “Del” Pepper, one of the members of the Technology Week Committee.

Riptech Inc. was founded in Alexandria in April 1998. The company employs 150 people. Riptech protects computer networks for clients in more than 30 countries from intrusion or attack through 24/7 security monitoring in real time from a security operation center in Alexandria and provides security professional services. Its Caltarian technology platform is capable of analyzing, interpreting and correlating large volumes of network security data, providing customers with a comprehensive and prioritized view of their security posture.

The company provides services to a wide array of clients, mostly to financial service providers and other commercial entities. Only about 10 percent of Riptech’s clients are government agencies, although that is changing.

“We are doing more business with the government since Sept. 11,” said Amit Yoran, Riptech’s president and chief executive officer.

He has also noticed other changes. “Before Sept. 11, we dealt with chief information officers at companies,” he said. “Now we are dealing with chief executive officers. The level of interest in technology security has risen to the highest levels in these companies and agencies.”

Riptech has received many honors in the past year, including being recognized by Ernst and Young and Computer World. The Technology Achievement Award, however, is special.

“We were founded in Alexandria and are backed by Alexandria investors,” Yoran said. “We are part of this community, and it is particularly gratifying to be recognized by business and technology leaders here.”

Riptech was selected from a group of more than 30 nominees. Alexandria is home to 400 technology companies that employ in excess of 12,000 people. This year’s Technology Achievement Award judges were Tony Cook, Digital Paper Corp.; Sean McLaughlin, Legg Mason Wood Walker; Doris Cammack Spencer, Womenfutures Inc.; and Jeff Weiss, ASAP Ventures.

The award is sponsored by the City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership.